


The Grand Galloping Gala (EAGGG 2017 Entry)

by persistent_pedantry



Series: Just a Bunch of Technicolour Horses [3]
Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:27:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23110174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/persistent_pedantry/pseuds/persistent_pedantry
Summary: Needle goes on a date and doesn't punch someone this time. Character growth!
Series: Just a Bunch of Technicolour Horses [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1661098





	The Grand Galloping Gala (EAGGG 2017 Entry)

**Author's Note:**

> This is pretty much the 2016 entry but gay and with fewer canons. Same issues, same readability. Enjoy, just don't @ me.

So here we are again, the blindfolded doctor gingerly finding his way to the Grand Galloping Gala for the second time already. The year's passed quickly, it seems; it feels as if the last Gala was yesterday - or, well, about last week. It didn't pass that quickly. Mind, Needle was leaving his home a lot closer to the Gala, this year round. He had moved house after much saving and deliberation, and now owns a small clinic in Eastern Canterlot. It's quite a nice spot, Needle counting himself lucky for securing such a space.

The stallion dismisses the idle daydreaming with a gruff shake of his head, unsettling his greying hair as he does. He shouldn't get distracted, he'll get lost again and he most definitely doesn't want a repeat of last year. 'Hey, are you a doctor?' 'Hey, why're you blind?' 'Hey, blah blah blah, I'm Pinkie Pie and I don't shut the hay up.' Needle mutters the mocking mimicry under his breath as he continues to trot with the rest of the hoofsteps, hearing one or two of the other presumed guests speaking on how beautiful the night is. Needle picks up his speed slightly with a small scowl, cantering past a large portion of the crowd. He doesn't want to be thinking of how nice this night might be; he doesn't want to go off into a tangent about his eyes again. He can't see, sound the alarms. That's definitely a new discovery. "Shouldn't dwell on what can't be fixed." Needle sighs near silently, his ears twitching lightly as he attempts to pick up any nearby hoofsteps. There should be a pony...

"Excuse me, sir? Know how far we are to the Gala? Call me short-sighted, but I'm having a little trouble seeing." The blindfolded stallion inquires, receiving a response after a moment or two. "That would be 'Lady Borealis.' I am a mare, love." The apparent mare replies patiently. "The Gala is about two minutes down the road. It shouldn't be too long now." The doctor nods with attempted courtesy in return, soon moving his focus back to gaining his bearing. He didn't apologise, nor thank her. This was primarily since he thinks the nod to be enough - then again, it completely depends on the pony. Luckily enough, the mare said nothing. Thank goodness there wasn't a replay of last year's fiasco; Needle feels as if he'll be able to hold his tongue for the Gala this year - most of it, at least (most of the year, not the tongue). One possible crisis averted, at least. That's something to be happy about - probably.

Roughly two minutes later, as the mare had predicted, the group reach the magnificent, lustrous doors of the Canterlot Palace. Doors that he should probably find his ticket to get through. A puzzled, unsettled frown rests on Needle's features as he frisks through his tuxedo for his ticket; the same tuxedo as last year, mainly because it goes well with his blindf- Ah, no, wait. Needle reaches behind his head, dislodging the ever-so-precious ticket from under his blindfold. He really must remember that he keeps the thing there. A somewhat triumphant, yet faint smile rests on Needle's expression as he offers the ticket to the guard at the door, strolling past him moments later.

There are those voices once again. That high-class music with higher-class snobs conversing over it. It's a concerto, as well. Needle recognises the piece, only causing him to lose the smile for a bitter frown even quicker. It's his fourth favourite piece, and the fact that all those ponies are just ignoring it is just b- "Are you alright?" Needle blinks, looking towards the voice. Young stallion, maybe four or five years younger than Needle. Not snobbish, thank Celestia, more of a professional. Medical. Definitely a medical pony. "Yes, yes, I'm alright. I assume I was muttering to myself." Needle replies with clear acrimony, the younger stallion chuckling quietly before giving a response of his own. "Yes, you were. I mostly agree, though. It is a very good concerto - it's just that his Lunar Symphony was better." He replies with a soft grin, slowly trotting away to the side of the ballroom, Needle having left himself paralysed for a moment before trotting after him.

"His Lunar Symphony? Are you deaf, mate?" He says with a look of actual, deliberate confusion, his Cockney tone brushing against his words notably more than usual. "Lunar's just a damned mess! Falsetto tries to add triads everywhere and he just leaves it as a complete mess!" He exclaims, ensuring to keep his voice down to reasonable levels (despite obvious desire to preach to the ballroom on how the Lover's Concerto is so, so much better). Another chuckle leaves the stallion as he slows to a stop, turning to Needle. "Oh, it's not that bad. Sure, there are a lot of triads but if you actually pay attention to the sequence of said triads, it holds a complex rhythm and it sounds beautiful. Anyway, if Lunar's bad, then what do you think's the best?" He asks, the blind stallion soberly replying. "I have listened and I've picked that up, but the fact that you have to actually pay attention to a piece of that speed and dynamics."

The younger stallion nods thoughtfully, looking at Needle curiously. "Touché, but still, you didn't answer my question: what's your favourite piece if Lunar Symphony is so bad?" He asks, Needle looking back to him with a blank expression. "Lover's Concerto." He replies simply, the other stallion snorting - actually snorting - and getting an annoyed defence from Needle. The pair bickered on the matter surprisingly passionately for nearly ten minutes until Needle finally lets out a tired groan, idly hitting the stallion in the leg. "Fine, idiot. Lunar Symphony's better technically, but Lover's Symphony is better for ambient listening." He concludes, the younger stallion laughing quietly before nudging him in return. "Whatever you say, grandpa." He retorts, earning a small frown from Needle. "Grandpa? I'm hardly even- You don't even-" he stammers briefly, soon scowling at the younger stallion with some distaste. He doesn't appreciate being called old, evidently. "Alright, sunshine, how old're you? Your name would be a good addition, at that." He inquires. "Scalpel Slice. Twenty four."

"Twenty four? Well, I'm twenty nine. Dr. Needle Jab." "Bull." Scalpel retorts with a small laugh. "No way are you that young! You look like you should have grand-foals!" "Yes, I've been told that frequently." Needle grumbles, shrugging it off. "Regardless to the age matter, it's good to meet you and all that, Scalpel." Scalpel smiles warmly, watching the blind stallion with some degree of curiosity, among other things. "Nice to meet you too, Needle."

Hours passed. The pair talked and joked throughout the night, debating and quizzing as they pleased as they waited out the end of the night. "Do you dance?" came one more of the many questions of the night. Needle raises a brow, looking at Scalpel. "Dance? I'm blind, mate. Of course I don't bloody well dance." He replies dryly, Scalpel letting out a quiet sigh. "Before, I mean. You said you lost your eyes, not that you were born blind, so... did you dance before you lost them?" He asks, earning only silence from the doctor. "I'm sorry if this is a sensitive subject." Scalpel apologises, looking quite sheepish for a moment. Needle shakes his head in response, letting out a sigh to relax his entire stature before he responds. "I, uh... no, no, I didn't dance. I've never had the coordination for it. I play piano, but that's the closest I can get to dancing: making the music for others to dance to." "Right..." Scalpel murmurs, almost to himself, a soft grin slowly rising to his lips as he takes Needle's hoof, hurrying him over to the centre of the ballroom, leaving Needle to wonder just what in the world is going on.

"I think you'd be a good dancer." The younger stallion assures, Needle most definitely seeming startled by the whole escapade "Damn it, I told y-" "Hush. You're dancing with me." Scalpel interrupts, seeming rather smug. "You told me how you could visualise through sound. Prove it." Needle scowls, his ears subtly flicking and twitching as they pick up what sounds they dan, piecing them together to form a landscape of sound-built sight. Echolocation, if you will. "I don't need to prove anything, Scalpel." He objects, the platinum grey stallion raising a brow leads him over the ballroom, taking deliberate steps to ensure the stallion could hear them. "Then stop your whining and dance with me."

Hoof to hoof, step to step, note to note; Scalpel followed them all - with Needle haphazardly following. For somepony who hasn't danced for years on end, Needle's lack of finesse wasn't surprising. What was surprising was the fact that he kept on at it. At this point, he would usually abandon the task and the related ponies at the drop of a pin. Yet, he felt an... obligation of sorts. A desire to stay with the stallion; a desire he hadn't felt in a good, long time. It can't be lo... Perhaps, but perhaps not. Of course, he shouldn't bring himself to think of such things. A blind racist has no place in romance.

But, of course, that's just the logical view.

"Having thoughts, Needle?" Scalpel asks, the older stallion's steps growing more and more refined with each bar of the waltz. Step to step to turn to step. After a while, it seems quite simple. "Nothing of importance." Needle begins with an idle shrug "I was just thinking of all the different romances that grow in these kinds of places. It's strange how fickle love is. You might think you're just a face in the crowd, and the next thing you know, you find them." "Them?" Scalpel recites, watching Needle intently as he continues to speak, the doctor almost averting his gaze as he does. "Aye, the, uh... damn it, what do we call them? 'Special somepony?'" He replies, Needle cringing slightly at the term.

"And... argue with them for ten minutes about classical music?" Scalpel asks, Needle nodding without much of a second thought. Scalpel chuckles softly, a darker hue dusted over his cheeks. "Dr. Jab, I could take a guess that you're attracted to me." The doctor in question clears his throat quietly, nodding in agreement. "Yes, I... I had reached a similar conclusion, myself." Moments later from the admittance, the pair trot away from the ballroom, moving away from the other dancers to near the lavish doors from which they entered. "I've never been too good with words, myself." Scalpel admits, smiling sheepishly as he looks to the exit. "If we went outside, it would probably help. Get some fresh air." Needle simply nods in response, making his way outside with Scalpel by his side.

There was a gentle breeze. It's a lovely feeling, especially with a cool night as it is. It's some of the best weather to have at this time of night. Needle smiles faintly at the thought, looking towards Scalpel before turning fully to him. "Well, I had best fully express my feelings." Needle reasons, shifting his weight some. "I know I've only known you for a few hours, but they've been some of the best hours of my life, as clichéd as that sounds. You're wonderful company, and I'd honestly love to spend more time with you." After a few precious moments, even though they felt like minutes, Needle feels a warm, soft pressing against her lips. Needle looks to Scalpel with some degree of shock, the younger stallion taking a small step back afterwards. He... kissed him. That was unprecedented - a little. "I..." Needle begins, earning a light hit on the leg in objection. "Don't say anything, you'll just worry yourself. I live just down the road, taking a right at the ninth junction. White house, can't miss it." He explains, slowly turning to trot away. "Visit when you like, Needle. Have a good night!"

Needle just stood there, dirt brown cheeks warming as he listens to the hoofsteps move away. After an eternity of five seconds, the doctor's lips rise to a contented smile. "That was fun."


End file.
